Paving stone

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a grass paver with a grid-type body which is formed by intersecting transverse portions and longitudinal portions, said portions forming at least one grid opening, wherein the transverse portions project beyond the longitudinal portions, and the longitudinal portions project beyond the transverse portions, wherein corners of the grass paver are each formed by a limb of one of the transverse portions and a limb of one of the longitudinal portions, and wherein the grass paver has a flat upper face. In this case, the longitudinal portions and the transverse portions have different heights and the lower surfaces of said portions define at least one lower contact plane and at least one upper contact plane on an underside of the grass paver.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention is based on the object of developing a grass paver which has increased shearing protection in relation to the underlying surface.

The grass paver according to the invention has longitudinal portions and transverse portions with different heights, with the lower surfaces of said portions defining at least one lower contact plane and at least one upper contact plane on an underside of the grass paver. This produces an interlocking connection between an underlying surface which bears the grass paver and at least one of the portions of the grass paver. The core of the invention is therefore the piercing or penetrating of the underlying surface, in particular of a gravel bed or an earth bed on which the grass paver is laid. For this purpose, the grass paver penetrates with at least one of the portions thereof and therefore has an increased resistance in relation to shearing forces which are capable of displacing the grass paver on the underlying surface. Consequently, the grass paver according to the invention can conduct at least a portion of the shearing forces acting on the grass paver during the braking, accelerating and cornering of vehicles into the underlying surface and can thus contribute to reducing a load on adjacent paving blocks.

According to the invention, an area ratio of approximately 1:2 to 1:1 between an overall area of the lower surfaces belonging to the upper contact plane and an overall area of the lower surfaces belonging to the lower contact plane is provided. Such an area distribution makes it possible to achieve a particularly effective interlocking.

Furthermore, the invention provides arranging the lower surfaces of the longitudinal portions exclusively in the lower contact plane or the upper contact plane, and arranging the lower surfaces of the transverse portions exclusively in the upper contact plane or the lower contact plane. This ensures planar resting of the grass paver on an underlying surface. This facilitates the laying and transportation.

One variant embodiment of the invention envisages providing at least one of the contact planes with ribs which are designed as projections and/or recesses. This makes it possible to increase the shearing protection effect even further and to design the contact planes as shearing protection planes.

The invention also provides arranging the ribs of at least one contact plane designed as a shearing protection plane parallel to one another. This simplifies the manufacturing of the grass paver, since molds with simple drawing plates can be used to produce the grass paver.

The invention also provides designing at least one transverse portion and/or at least one longitudinal portion of the grass paver with a zigzag-shaped and/or wavy profile in top view. By selecting different laying techniques and/or a different orientation of the grass pavers, paving arrangements of differing geometry can be produced with grass pavers of this type. This measure therefore results in a grass paver which can be used for paving arrangements having different intended uses. Such a grass paver permits optimum support between the grass pavers of the paving arrangements having different intended uses, since use is made of identical grass pavers which are optimally matched to one another. Furthermore, such a grass paver considerably facilitates the planning of building projects, since initially only the requirement for a certain area has to be calculated and the intended use and appearance of an area can be established at a later time.

According to the invention, grass pavers with a rectangular and in particular a square grid are provided. Such grass pavers can be laid in a simple manner.

Finally, the invention provides a distance between the contact planes and shearing protection planes of at least 15 mm. At and above such a distance, even comparatively large shearing forces can be dissipated.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Further details of the invention are described in the drawing with reference to exemplary embodiments which are illustrated schematically.

FIGS. 1 a, 1 b show a top view and a section of a first grass paver according to the invention;

FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of a second grass paver according to the invention;

FIGS. 3 a, 3 b show a side view and a top view of a third grass paver according to the invention, and

FIG. 3 c shows a paving position of grass pavers according to FIG. 3 b.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 a illustrates a top view of a first grass paver 1 according to the invention. The grass paver 1 has a body 2 which comprises two transverse portions 3, 4 and two longitudinal portions 5, 6. Said portions together form a grid 7 which has a laterally closed grid opening 8. The portions 3 to 6 are arranged in a manner similar to a double cross or a “diamond symbol”. The intersecting transverse portions 3, 4 and longitudinal portions 5, 6 each project laterally beyond each other by means of limbs 3 a, 3 b, 4 a, 4 b, 5 a, 5 b, 6 a, 6 b. Further grid openings 9 a to 9 h lie between said limbs 3 a to 6 b. Four corners 10 a to 10 d of the grass paver 1, which has a square grid RQ in top view, are formed by in each case two limbs 4 a, 5 a and 6 a, 4 b and 3 b, 6 b and 5 b, 3 a. In each case two spacers 12, 13 for the interlocking with an adjacent grass paver (not illustrated here) are arranged at lateral ends 11 of the transverse portions 3, 4 and longitudinal portions 5, 6. The grass paver 1 has a grid width RB and a grid length RL, wherein RB=RL for the grass paver 1 illustrated in FIG. 1 a. The lateral ends 11 of the transverse portions 3, 4 and longitudinal portions 5, 6 and the spacers 12, 13 arranged at said ends are arranged point-symmetrically with respect to a center point M of the grass paver 1. On a flat upper face 14, the grass paver 1 has four notches 15 which provide the grass paver 1 with the appearance of four individual blocks.

FIG. 1 b illustrates a section through the grass paver 1 illustrated in FIG. 1 a along the section line Ia-Ia shown in FIG. 1 a. The transverse portion 3 which can be seen in the sectional view and the longitudinal portion 5 which can be seen in the sectional view have different heights H3 and H5, respectively. The upper face 14 of the grass paver 1 is of planar or flat design. The longitudinal portions 5 project by a distance D beyond the transverse portions 3 with respect to an underside 17 of the grass paver 1. Lower surfaces 18, 19 of the transverse portion 3 lie in an upper contact plane 20, and lower surfaces 21, 22 of the longitudinal portion 5 lie in a lower contact plane 23. A cross section (illustrated in FIG. 1 b) of the transverse portion 5 is widened from the upper face 14 of the grass paver 1 to the upper contact plane 20 and is reduced slightly again from the latter to the lower contact plane 23. The longitudinal portions 5 and 6 both have a tunnel T5 and T6 (also see FIG. 1 a) through which irrigation pipes and electric cables (not illustrated) can be guided.

FIG. 2 illustrates a further grass paver 1 in a schematic and perspective view. The lower surfaces 18, 19, 24 and 25 of transverse portions 3, 4 of said grass paver have ribs 26 which are designed as projections 27. Ribs 26 on lower surfaces 21, 22 of longitudinal portions 5, 6 are designed as recesses 28. The lower surfaces 18, 19, 24 and 25 of the transverse portions 3, 4 form an upper contact plane 20 which is designed by means of the ribs 26 as an upper shearing protection plane 30. Similarly, the lower surfaces 21, 22 of the longitudinal portions 5, 6 form a lower contact plane 23 which is designed by means of the ribs 26 as a lower shearing protection plane 31. By means of the design of the two contact planes 20, 23 as shearing protection planes 30, 31, the individual grass pavers 1 can transmit even greater shearing loads into the underlying surface. A rectangular grid RR of the grass paver 1 is indicated by a dashed line. An underside 17 of the grass paver 1 is formed by the lower surfaces 18, 19, 24, 25 and 21, 22 of the transverse portions 3, 4 and longitudinal portions 5, 6, respectively, said lower surfaces lying at a different level.

FIGS. 3 a and 3 b show a third variant of a grass paver 1 according to the invention in side view and top view. The grass paver 1 has two transverse portions 3, 4 and two longitudinal portions 5, 6. The transverse portions 3, 4 run along wavy lines or serpentine lines S3, S4. The longitudinal portions 5, 6 have a rectilinear profile and are designed in a manner similar to trapezoids in section and in the side view shown in FIG. 3 a. Furthermore, lower surfaces 21, 22 of the transverse portions 5, 6 each have a tunnel-like cutout T5, T6 provided for the laying of electric lines or irrigation pipes. The transverse portions 3, 4 and longitudinal portions 5, 6 of the grass paver 1 have different heights H3, H4 and H5, H6, respectively. The transverse portions 3, 4 and longitudinal portions 5, 6 form a flat upper face 14 of the grass paver 1. The longitudinal portions 5, 6 project beyond the transverse portions 3, 4 with respect to an underside 17 of the grass paver 1. By this means, the underside 17 of the grass paver 1 has two contact planes 20 and 23 (see FIG. 3 a). Said shearing protection is particularly effective in a gravel bed and/or sand bed and/or earth bed, since the grass paver 1 is supported on earth layers lying at different levels. By this means, a gradual smoothing of the underlying surface due to repeated movement of the grass paver 1 caused by shearing forces is made more difficult.

FIG. 3 c illustrates a paving arrangement 16 which is formed from grass pavers 1 which all correspond to the grass paver shown in FIGS. 3 a and 3 b. The grass pavers 1 are laid in a different orientation within the paving arrangement 16. A grass paver 1 indicated by its shading is surrounded by eight grass pavers 101 to 108. Around the laterally closed grid opening 8 of the grass paver 1, further closed grid openings 9 a to 9 h are formed by the adjacent grass pavers 101 to 108. In this case, the grid openings 9 a, 9 b, 9 d, 9 c, 9 f and 9 h are congruent to one another in top view. Furthermore, the grid openings 9 c and 9 g are congruent to one another. In FIG. 3 c, the left nine grass pavers are laid in a cross joint assembly KVB and the right nine grass pavers are laid in a stretcher-type assembly LVB.

The invention is not restricted to exemplary embodiments which are illustrated or described. On the contrary, it comprises developments of the invention within the scope of the patent claims. According to a variant embodiment (not illustrated), paving stones which are designed as grass pavers are also provided with a grid which is rectangular in top view, in which the grid length and the grid width differ in size.

LIST OF DESIGNATIONS

-   1 Grass paver -   2 Body -   3, 4 First, second transverse portion -   3 a, 3 b Limb of 3 -   4 a, 4 b Limb of 4 -   5, 6 First, second longitudinal portion -   5 a, 5 b Limb of 5 -   6 a, 6 b Limb of 6 -   7 Grid -   8, 9 a-9 h Grid opening -   10 a-10 d Corner of 1 -   11 Lateral ends of 3, 4, 5 and 6 -   12, 13 Spacer at 11 -   14 Upper face of 1 -   15 Notch on 14 -   16 Paving arrangement -   17 Underside of 1 -   18, 19 Lower surface of 3 and 4 -   20 Upper contact plane -   21, 22 Lower surface of 5 and 6 -   23 Lower contact plane -   24, 25 Lower surface of 3 and 4 -   26 Rib -   27 Projection -   28 Recess -   30 Upper shearing protection plane -   31 Lower shearing protection plane -   101-108 Grass paver adjacent to 1 -   D Distance between 20 and 23 -   H3-H6 Height of 3, 4, 5 and 6 -   KFV Cross joint, cross joint assembly -   LVB Stretcher-type assembly -   M Center point of 1 -   RB, RL, RQ Grid width of 1, grid length of 1, grid -   S3, S4 Serpentine line -   T5, T6 Cutout 

1. A grass paver with a grid-type body which is formed by intersecting transverse portions and longitudinal portions, said portions forming at least one grid opening, wherein the transverse portions project beyond the longitudinal portions, and the longitudinal portions project beyond the transverse portions, wherein corners of the grass paver are each formed by a limb of one of the transverse portions and a limb of one of the longitudinal portions, and wherein the grass paver has a flat upper faced, wherein the longitudinal portions and the transverse portions have different heights and the lower surfaces of said portions define at least one lower contact plane and at least one upper contact plane on an underside of the grass paver.
 2. The grass paver as claimed in claim 1, wherein an overall area of the lower surfaces belonging to the upper contact plane is in an area ratio of approximately 1:2 to 1:1 to an overall area of the lower surfaces belonging to the lower contact plane.
 3. The grass paver as claimed in claim 1, wherein the lower surfaces of the longitudinal portions lie exclusively in the lower contact plane or exclusively in the upper contact plane.
 4. The grass paver as claimed in claim 1, wherein the lower surfaces of the transverse portions lie exclusively in the upper contact plane or exclusively in the lower contact plane.
 5. The grass paver as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one of the contact planes is designed as a shearing protection plane and has ribs which are designed as projections and/or recesses.
 6. The grass paver as claimed in claim 5, wherein the ribs of at least one shearing protection plane run parallel to one another.
 7. The grass paver as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one transverse portion and/or at least one longitudinal portion have/has a zigzag-shaped and/or wavy profile in top view.
 8. The grass paver as claimed in claim 1, wherein the grass paver has a rectangular grid.
 9. The grass paver as claimed in claim 1, wherein the grass paver has a square grid.
 10. The grass paver as claimed in claim 1, wherein the contact planes and shearing protection planes are at a distance of at least 15 mm from one another. 